Back when I bought my house (October 2017) I had all these big plans to decorate, extend, improve… all the things.
Turns out owning a house is actually mega expensive, especially when you have to rebuild the walls from the inside out, and you’re doing it on your own, on a self employed budget.
My decorating budget basically went on plaster. As I saw the white mixture cover the crumbling walls, it also plastered over my Pinterest boards.
No pink sofas, Kentia palms and Oliver Bonas drinks trollies for me.
As the year has passed, and I’ve spent on windows, bathroom flooring, ceiling painting and that damn council tax, the dreams of extending my kitchen have evaporated into cold reality. But still, there’s no point in me replacing it when really, I want to remodel 80% of the downstairs.
A new kitchen on a budget
So, no dramas, just means I had to rethink the space until the savings build up again. I decided to look for a cheaper way to spruce up my kitchen. I’d already painted over the green walls with white, when I first moved in. But that was all the attention the kitchen had received.
And so, it took Ben and I three (short) days, but I’m pretty proud of how my little kitchen has turned out. And big thanks to Desenio, who sponsored this post, I now have some striking pictures to hang on the wall to really bring it all together.
The great thing about buying new prints to spruce a space up, especially in the intermediary, is that obviously they’re totally portable too. I’m sure these will now be in my life for a long time to come and I can mix and match as my house (houses?) change, and my style.
When I’ve raised the £20k or thereabouts to extend out the back, and knock this particular wall through for an open plan downstairs space, oh and create a toilet under the stairs – I can just hang my Desenio prints by the bifolding doors of my future.
I got all these prints, and the frames, from Desenio.
A Thousand Birds (30×40)
Bon Appetit Text (13x18cm)
Oh Crêpe (13×18)
Superhero (13×18)
Lemon (21x30cm)
World Map Grey Watercolor (21x30cm)
Simple Balance (30x40cm)
My kitchen decor
I actually wanted the cupboards a bit darker than this, but I think with a second coat when I get back from Hamburg they’ll be better. I got the paint in the sale at B&Q for £23 and then I had a £5 voucher through my letterbox too, which for some reason they let me use on a sale item. Bargain.
I knew I wanted to make it dark grey, but obviously, being a smaller space I needed some light too. I decided that a black, white and yellow theme would work perfectly for my prints, with a bit of a foodie theme thrown in.
We painted over the old brown tiles with white tile paint – two coats – and then I bought these tile stickers for £38 custom made. I spent a lot of time looking for a cheaper option, even considering using vinyl flooring as a backsplash, but these were just too perfect.
Also, the few minutes they took to apply made the expense totally worth it.
I’d originally planned to redo the floor but it’d cost £300+ and I really don’t think it needs it now that I’ve done the cupboards. It does need a good scrub to get the paint splashes off – oops. That was me.
And then all I’ve done is bring in this flower which was in the lounge, and bought a new grey recylcling box to replace the battered red one the council gave us.
This kitchen revamp cost:
– Grey cupboard paint £18 in the sale
– White tile paint £12 also in the sale
– Desenio prints with frames £80 [GIFTED]
– Recycling box £14
– Tile stickers £37.22 with shipping
TOTAL: £160ish
Kitchen revamp
I might buy some stuff to do the worktops – I’ve seen you can buy adhesive covers to brighten it up, but we’ll see. For now, for the cost, and the time taken, I love my new kitchen!
Wanna see my cool travel themed office?